Dearly Departed Remake
by shinigamiinochi
Summary: When Heero loses his parents, his best friend Trowa suggests that he get a pet to ease his grief. But in a world where human-animal hybrids are bred as pets, the cat that Heero buys has just as many problems as he does. 1x2, mature content.


Dearly Departed (Remake)

I know what you're thinking. 'Oh, my God, Shii's remaking another story'. Well, there are some really good reasons to remake DD. First off, I've already done it. When I went to post DD as an original story, I decided to remake it and I got some really good feedback on it. Second reason is that DD comes from an era of writing back when I wasn't so good and rushed through a lot of details. Third, Duo's animal makes no sense to me. Duo is from North America, not South, so he really shouldn't be a black panther, realistically. So, yes, his animal has changed, but I like this one better. Last, but most importantly, I got an idea in my head, one that would allow me to put DD in the same universe as the hentai chapters that had Duo as a ferret, husky, snake, and black cat, and I thought it was a lot better than have Duo magically be part animal, which would force Heero to hide him all the time.

So, yes, this version is a bit different from the first one. I hope you all prefer it, because I sure do. To those that have read the original version, the plot will be mostly the same, but Duo's animal is different from Izel, and so is his personality. Jaguars were worshipped as gods, something sacred, so Izel comes across as a mix of reverence, sexuality, and a mortal being just looking for acceptance. Duo's animal, while featured in mythology a lot, is not godly at all, so that sense of power and mystery is subdued.

Also, for those who read and liked the original version of DD, there is a pic of Izel on fur affinity. Be warned, it is in no way work safe. Not even slightly. As in, full frontal nudity. There are also a ton of pics now of Lilu, one of Ian, and one of chibi Seiko. I'm not doing fanart of gundam wing because I don't see any point in it. Everyone knows what Duo and Heero look like, so I'm just sticking to my original characters for now. Also be warned that pretty much anything I post on fa is going to be adult (except for Seiko, mostly).

Prologue: Lost and Found

Another day. They seemed to be happening a lot more frequently lately, new days, new mornings. Heero wiped vainly at his eyes as sunlight poured from his window. He could get up and close the shade, or even stretch out his arm and he might manage it. The sun made his head hurt, but he just lied there. He didn't want to move, even if it meant helping his headache. He closed his dark blue eyes and ran a hand through his chocolate hair. His alarm had gone off, he could still hear it ringing in his right ear. He wasn't going to work today and there wasn't any real reason for him to be awake right now. He should turn his alarm off and go back to sleep. He wasn't sleeping very much lately and he knew that it was important. Something about rest away from grief, but he didn't want to sleep. He had no desire to sleep beyond his body's physical needs. He rolled out of bed. Another day, but as usual, nothing had really changed, especially not him.

Heero didn't make his bed as he turned off his alarm. He put the one and only picture on his night stand face down without even really looking at it and left his bedroom. He couldn't remember the last time he had washed his sheets, or made the bed. He only did his laundry when the smell began to bother him. As for his sheets, it just didn't seem worth the trouble anymore. He hadn't decided yet if he was going to get dressed today. It depended on whether he still had beer in the fridge. His t-shirt and pajama pants were comfortable, but enough to walk to the store in. He didn't like to be stared at. He passed by the answering machine on his way to the kitchen and like he had been doing for the last month, he just barely glanced at the blinking display. He had 23 messages. She had called him again, six more times since last night, when he had looked at it before now and he had forgotten to delete them.

He knew that it was her, if Trowa wanted to talk to him, he knew that the only way to reach him was to knock on his door and drag him out. Only Relena would bother to call him. Not even her brother would. His boss had only called the first week, but had quickly given up. She had probably called early this morning, but he hadn't heard it. He had gotten too used to the sound of the phone ringing to be woken up by it. He deleted the messages, all unheard. In his kitchen, he poured himself a cup of coffee, black. He didn't usually drink it like that, but he didn't really taste it anymore. He just liked to drink it for the ritual. He took his time drinking cup after cup of the bitter liquid. Once again, he had nothing to do today, but he had no where that he wanted to go and nothing that he really wanted to do. Once again, he would probably just sit around and watch television, lying to himself that he was interested in the things he was watching, just so he wouldn't have to think.

He was on his fifth cup of coffee, just staring at the wall and trying to decide if he was going to bother running the dishwasher today or if he could put it off for another day when his doorbell rang. He paused for a moment, fighting off the urge to growl in his empty kitchen, then took another sip from his coffee. Maybe, if he didn't answer it, they would just go away. Only one minute passed, then the shrill sound of the doorbell being rung four times in hyper, rabid procession came. Heero did growl then, his head throbbing, and slammed his coffee cup down on the table, the dark liquid sloshing out of the porcelain mug and onto the wood of the table, but he didn't bother wiping it up. He stormed to his front door and flung it open, glaring full force at the person standing on his doorstep.

"What the hell do you want?" Heero demanded, his entire expression oozing irritation and contempt.

Trowa wasn't fazed at all by the glare, looking his best friend up and down.

"That's a nice look for you," the tall man said dryly, taking in Heero's sleep mussed brown hair and rumpled pajamas.

Heero knew that the other man was making fun of his hair and threw his glare at Trowa's cinnamon hair that hung over one eye, as though he were trying to hide something. It was annoyingly well combed. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look intimidating, but he knew that it wouldn't work, not with Trowa. They had known each other since they were in middle school. Heero had always had a temper, but Trowa was calm and collected, almost cold. It was hard to imagine that such a person was so dedicated to his pet rabbit. Trowa, with his piercing green eyes and sometimes sick sense of humor certainly didn't look like a bunny person.

"Are you going to let me in or not?" Trowa asked with a quirk of one of his red-brown eyebrows.

Heero grunted at him, but walked back inside, his friend closing the door behind them. Trowa was one of this annoying types that could ignore every hateful look in order to get what they wanted. It was usually amusing to watch, as long as you weren't the one he was arguing with. As much as he didn't want to see him, there really wasn't much point trying to make him leave. That didn't mean he had to be a good host, though. He sat back down at his kitchen table and resumed his cup of coffee. Trowa, with the air of a roommate instead of a house guest, looked around the kitchen in disgust. The stove was filthy, there was a pile of dishes sitting in the sink that hadn't been washed yet, and when he opened the refrigerator, he counted no less than six food items that were out of date by a week. He should have come sooner, he quickly realized. He dumped out the spoiled food and stood in front of Heero, looking agitated and highly annoyed.

"You planning on doing these dishes any time soon?" he asked, pointing to the dirty dishes, almost hostilely.

Heero stared at him for a moment before shrugging apathetically.

"I have plenty of clean ones," he argued.

"That's not the point," Trowa said in frustration, "Where is the Heero that I know? Where is the man who gets annoyed if someone leaves so much as one thing out of place? Where is the man who is completely dedicated to his friends?"

"People change," Heero said defensively, even as guilt struck at him.

Trowa let out an explosive sigh, swung a chair in front of his friend, and sat down on it.

"No, they don't," he said, "People never change. Maybe their habits do, but people don't. You're still that person, and that is precisely why you're like this. When was the last time you left this place?"

"I don't remember," Heero confessed.

It could have been last week… it could have been yesterday. He didn't know. Every day was the same, so every day bled together and became just one, long string of useless seconds, ticking away. Time was the enemy, so why should he acknowledge it.

"There, that is exactly my point," Trowa exclaimed, "Here you are, drinking coffee while your house falls apart. You used to hang out with me and Quatre all the time. We haven't seen or heard for you in almost two weeks. I can't blame you for not talking to Hiiri, but I thought our friendship was stronger than that. I thought _you _were stronger than that!"

"Shut up!" Heero snapped, "You don't get it! Our family was small. All I had were my parents and… and you. They died, they left me alone! What would you have me do, forget about them? Just pretend that the accident never happened and my heart doesn't hurt every time I wake up?"

"I'm not saying that," Trowa murmured, putting a hand on Heero's and giving it a small squeeze, "I don't expect you to forget. No one should ever forget their parents, and no one should expect you to not feel pain about it, but sitting in this place day after day won't help you. Pushing me away won't help. You say that it hurt to have them leave you, don't you think that it hurts me to have you leave as well?"

"I'm not leaving you," Heero said in a small voice, not even believing his own words.

"Yes you are," Trowa insisted, "Look around. This isn't like you. What exactly are you planning to do? Just sit around wallowing in self-misery until your brain becomes congealed? You've already missed a week of classes, you haven't been at the internship, you won't even give your girlfriend the time of day, though I'm not quite sure that's a bad thing…"

Heero almost chuckled at that. Trowa wasn't afraid to let anyone who asked know that he hated Heero's girlfriend, Relena, but instead of feeling annoyed by his best friend's behavior, he found it amusing. He supposed that that made him a bad boyfriend, but after all the phone calls and neediness, he wasn't feeling all that generous towards her lately.

"You need to get out. I know how much you loved your parents, but you need something else in your life. A goal, a purpose… some company to keep this grief of yours from eating you whole," Trowa advised.

"I already have a girlfriend," Heero pointed out, even though for the first time since the car accident, he had to admit he wasn't wallowing in self pity or malaise, he felt a little bit interested in whatever his friend was trying to get at.

"That's not what I mean," Trowa said with a shake of his head, "You need something to distract you from your loss, something that will make you take care of this place again, and yourself. You need to take care of something. If there's one thing that you've always been good at, it's compassion. At least, you need someone, or something, to talk to. Whenever anything bad happened to you, your mother would always be there. You two would talk for hours and she always made you feel better. Now that she's gone, you feel betrayed, your main pillars of support are gone. You need to build them up again."

"Are you sure you're not a psychology major?" Heero joked, managing to find some kind of humor after all this time of dark feelings.

"I'm talking about a pet," Trowa said.

Heero shook his head.

"No way," he protested, "I don't care what you think I _need_, I can't even take care of a goldfish. Anything I'd get would just end up dying."

His voice tightened up on that word and Trowa gripped his hand again.

"Heero, relax," he soothed, "I think this is a good idea. Quatre's been so good to me-,"

"I'm not getting a hybrid!" Heero snapped at him, "Do you have any idea the kind of work that takes? Quatre took up your entire life and you're still spending most of your time teaching him things! I don't know the first thing about taking care of a rabbit, let alone a hybrid!"

"It doesn't have to be a rabbit," Trowa pointed out, "There are almost as many species of hybrid as there are animals. Besides, you don't have to get a hybrid. I just think that getting a companion would be a great way for you to move on from this."

"Nothing can replace them, don't even ask me to do that," the dark brown haired man murmured.

"I'm not telling you to replace them. I'm asking you to find something to connect to, to help you grieve properly. You can't keep sitting in this house all day, you have to do something. If you don't go back to work and school, you'll end up on the street. All I'm asking is for you to come with me to the pet store where I got Quatre. Look at the animals and hybrids there. Maybe you'll find something you like," Trowa urged.

Something inside of Heero gave way. There was a stubborn part of himself that didn't want to leave the house, didn't want to go through with this stupid plan. He just wanted to stay at home and watch TV. But somewhere deep inside of him, his pride kicked in. He didn't have to look at a mirror to see what he had become. His parents would be ashamed of him, wasting his life like this. He knew that Trowa was right, he needed a kick to his ass. He sighed heavily.

"I need to get dressed," he said.

Trowa beamed, a rare sight.

"Comb your hair, too," he said with a grin.

Heero rolled his eyes at him.

"Yes, big brother," he groused, standing up and walking to his bedroom.

It took him a full twenty minutes just to find some clothes that weren't stained, completely wrinkled, or smelled funny. He could hear Trowa working in the kitchen, doing his dishes. His heart filled with a deep self-pity. How had things gotten this bad? Why was he filled with this lack of energy, this apathy to not do anything, to just waste away? How had things gotten to the point where his best friend had to physically drag him out of his own self-destruction and was doing his goddamn dishes for him? Heero shook his head at his own stupidity. None of this had made him feel better about his parents' death, but he just hadn't felt like doing anything. That was depression, right? He looked around his room and sighed. His house was tiny, a gift from his father. He had thought it would better for his son to live in a place like this instead of a dorm room and Heero had quickly fallen in love with it. Still, he had pretty much trashed it these last few weeks. If he really was getting a pet, he would have to clean this place up first. There was no way he was bringing a living thing into this mess. What kind of impression would that make?

As Heero picked up all his dirty clothes and shoved them into the hamper to clean tomorrow, he looked at the picture he had put face down. He gently righted it and smiled softly. In the picture, a man and woman had their arms around a little boy with wild, dark hair. They were all smiling widely, their expressions brimming with joy. A tear slid down Heero's cheek. He hastily wiped it up and made his bed. It took him about an hour just to pick up his room. Besides the kitchen, the rest of the house wasn't too bad, just untidy, but not really filthy. He vacuumed any place that looked like the dust might become a sentient being, then joined Trowa at the real disaster area, also known as his kitchen. It took them an additional three hours of throwing out food, scrubbing dishes and floors, and spraying anti-bacterial chemicals before the room resembled a place where someone would actually want to eat.

"You ready to go?" Trowa asked once the room was bathed in the light sent of lemon .

Heero nodded, but he still felt slightly hesitant about this whole plan. He didn't know the first thing about taking care of… well, anything. He had had a cactus once, but had over watered it and it had rotted. An animal would take a lot of care, patience, and knowledge, things that he was pretty sure he didn't possess. And hybrids were even harder to care for then animals. Like normal pets, hybrids were physically dependent on their masters, but had the emotional capacity of human beings, so they became so attached to their masters that some could only belong to one person. If that person died or abandoned them, hybrids like dogs, cats, and rabbits often died out of loneliness and depression. They just… stopped eating and taking care of themselves. To lose your master was a terrible fate for a hybrid. Heero didn't understand how someone could create a species like that, or the kind of pain that the poor creatures went through when they were abused and neglected. He knew the pain of loss, but to actually die from it?

But, he did understand the appeal in owning a hybrid instead of an animal. Because of gene selection and a whole bunch of other scientific stuff that Heero didn't really understand, hybrids were usually beautiful, affectionate, and intelligent. Dogs were no longer man's best friend. In a way, hybrids were the perfect companion. They were physically and behaviorally a cross between their selected animal and a human. They had human intelligence, but animal instincts, so they were very adaptable. The only problem was that, without a master, hybrids, especially the big ones like wolves and wild cats, went feral and aggressive. Like any other living thing, hybrids could breed on their own, but they had been originally engineered as pets and it was very difficult for a hybrid to live without a master. Even ferals had shortened life spans and difficulty co-existing in their environment.

All hybrids, even the reptiles, were social creatures and suffered psychological problems if left on their own. Hybrids had a specific hierarchy. Hybrids had to be taught almost everything, language, behavior, manners… usually, their masters were the ones who did that, or in the wild, the mother. If a hybrid didn't have a superior to teach them these things, they became dysfunctional and violent. Heero wasn't sure if he wanted that kind of responsibility. A previously owned hybrid would be ok, but even then… maybe it would be easier to just get a fish. He hadn't left his house in days, so it took him awhile to find his house keys, but once he did, Trowa led him to his car that he had parked in Heero's driveway, seeming to be in a hurry. Heero took one look at the car and felt his heart drop into his stomach. His hands shook.

_Glass shattered all around him, like raining glitter, so beautiful, yet so terrible. He could feel things all around him, compressed, like he was trapped in a box where the walls were coming closer and closer to him. The sound of screeching metal was horrific, even worse than the feeling of blood dripping down his face while his arms were trapped and he couldn't wipe it away. That was when he realized that the high pitched sound wasn't just the sound of metal on metal. Someone was screaming. He looked up and saw his mother above him. But that was impossible. She was still sitting in her seat. She should be in front of him, not above him… It was hot… too hot… her face was covered in blood. Her left eye was missing. She was panting and screaming at the same time. He didn't see his father, or the driver's chair that his father had been sitting in that had been next to his mother's just seconds before. He felt more blood drip onto his face and trail down his forehead. He realized then that only some of it was his own. That was when he threw up and blacked out. That was the last time he would ever see his mother alive._

Trowa watched as Heero all at once went a devastating, pale white. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder, noting how the blue eyed man's hands shook. He was an idiot, a complete, fucking moron to think that Heero would get into the car with him. To his knowledge, Heero hadn't been in a car since the accident.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling ashamed at himself and his ignorance of his friend's problems.

To his relief, Heero snapped out of whatever daze he was in and shook his head.

"It's ok," he told Trowa, but neither of them believed his words.

"It's not that far, if you want to walk?" the cinnamon haired man asked.

Heero nodded. He still couldn't even look at his own car, which had been parked in the garage since before the accident. It had been a challenge just to work himself up to taking the bus to go to the grocery store. He had learned the first time he had tried it that his new found phobia had nothing to do with buses, just cars, but it was a nice day and it seemed like it had been an eternity since he had just enjoyed the sunlight. The two of them walked side by side down the sidewalk together, Trowa on the outside. Heero thought he should be offended that his friend thought he needed to be protected against the mere sight of a car, but he was just relieved. He was so pathetic, he couldn't even deal with the traffic. He had this strange hair trigger, like he was just waiting for an accident to happen. As they walked, he continuously had this strange image of his head. A car would drive up on the sidewalk, hitting Trowa fatally. Again, Heero would survive. Again, he would be alone. It was a stupid fantasy, but he could still see it clearly, in his head.

"How much does it cost to buy a hybrid?" Heero asked.

Trowa smiled at him. Heero had always claimed that there was no way he would ever get a hybrid. They were too much responsibility, he said, and they were far too human. He could attest to that. Quatre, his rabbit hybrid, laughed and smiled just like any human. He certainly loved him like any human. Maybe that was wrong, to be in love with a creature that was half animal, but he couldn't deny what his heart told him. Quatre was kind and liked his dark sense of humor. Those were traits he could never associate with a real rabbit. Besides, Quatre was cute, sometimes too cute for him to ignore. If it was really wrong, what was the point for hybrids to look like people? It happened all the time, people falling in love with their hybrids. There was even a bill being contested that would give people the right to marry their pets. He wasn't sure about that, but there was something about the affectionate creatures that made it hard not to feel like they were people, not just pets.

"That depends on the species," he informed Heero, "Birds, rodents, and fish are fairly cheap, but exotic ones are very expensive. There is nearly a hybrid for every species of animal. Cats and dogs are the most common, though. Reptiles are expensive no matter what kind you get and they are very hard to take care of. Quatre was expensive because his hair and eye color are rare, especially for rabbit hybrids. His species is used to hot, dry weather, not our colder climate, and he can get sick very easily, so paying for his weekly medications is pricey. Also, most hybrids have very specific diets. The vegetables that Quatre eats are more expensive than my salads. After I purchased him, I had to eat ramen for weeks to compensate," he said with a chuckle.

"If he was so expensive, why not get a cheaper rabbit?" Heero asked with a small frown.

Trowa looked him in the eye with a sudden softness and seriousness.

"Because when I looked into those eyes of his, I just knew he was the pet for me. Maybe that's childish, to say that I had to have him and I was willing to sacrifice my pathetic budget for him, but it happens. You just… _know._ If you're worried about money, stay away from the exotic animals. Don't even look at them. We don't live near any water, so there's no way you could afford a fish, but a rodent or a cat might be nice. I know you don't like dogs, which is just hilarious," Trowa chuckled again.

"Why is that funny?" Heero demanded.

"You look like a wolf and you're a cat person," the other man said cheekily, "Actually, a cat might be a good idea. They're very affectionate and their bond with their master is actually more severe than with dogs, ironically, which isn't always a good thing, but they are also very independent. They learn quicker than other hybrids, are more adaptive, and they don't have many health problems. A cat would love you, but you wouldn't have to look after it every second. You would just need to be affectionate with it, be a good teacher, and try to wean out any… bad habits."

"What kind of habits?" Heero asked in concern.

"Most hybrid cats have a lot in common with normal, domestic cats," Trowa informed him, "They are very curious, so they get into trouble a lot. They don't wander like normal cats do. They're too attached to their masters and their surroundings, but they get hurt because of their curiosity. Also, because of their attachment to their masters, cats are more prone to depression and separation anxiety than other hybrids. But, normal cat hybrids are pretty easy to care for otherwise. Hybrids are more like babies than animals. Fresh ones don't know much beyond basic skills and you have to teach them everything. Besides the cost of the hybrid itself, there's also food, toys, bedding, and other things, all depending on what you choose. Reptiles are the worst because their food is expensive and you have to keep the temperature in your house constant. They have a lot of health problems and short life spans because most people don't know how to take care of them properly."

Heero nodded absently, already considering the possibility of owning a cat hybrid. His parents' next door neighbors had had one, a gorgeous Siamese with long black hair and the most enchanting blue eyes. He had been so friendly and had smiled at everyone, completely loyal to his master, an elderly woman who had needed the cat to read to her and help her up and down the steps. Though, Quatre was very cute, too, and patient. Maybe a bunny or mouse was more his speed. Or maybe he should just forget about hybrids all together and just get a ten dollar gerbil. Cheap and easy to care for. Though… it would be nice to be able to talk to something that understood you and could smile at you when you were sad.

"Was it worth it?" he asked, "What you spent on Quatre and how long it took you to teach him how to speak?"

Like most hybrid owners, Trowa had chosen a hybrid that was what was called 'fresh', a hybrid that had never had a master. Every now and then, a hybrid would survive the separation from his or her master and would end up at a pet store or adoption agency. But usually these hybrids were damaged in some way, sometimes physically, mostly emotionally and could be hostile towards new owners, like small children who were told that their dead birds weren't coming back and that they could pick out a new one. They never wanted a new one, just the one that had died. However, the owner of the pet store where Trowa had bought Quatre hadn't taught Quatre much, so Trowa had to teach the bunny the English language, which was actually better for a hybrid's connection with their master.

"Every penny," Trowa said solemnly, "Quatre was worth every penny that I spent on him. You know what my life was like before I got him. I came out to my family about my sexuality just before I went to college. Thankfully, they weren't so angry at me that they didn't help me pay for my education, but I haven't talked to any of them since. All I had was you. I was lonely and bitter about the whole thing. When I saw Quatre… it was like I could finally see the sunshine in my life. And when he smiled at me that first time, I knew I would never be lonely again."

Heero smiled at that and the two of them walked the rest of the way in silence. Soon, the two men found themselves in front of a very large store, more like a warehouse than a pet store, with a picture of a German Sheppard hybrid in the window.

"Is this the pet store where you got Quatre?" Heero asked.

Trowa nodded.

"Yes. They have the best selection in the entire state and aren't too expensive. Sometimes it pays to live in a big city," he mused.

The inside of the store was immaculate, lit with bright, fluorescent lights. The front of the store was exactly like a regular pet store, divided up by reptiles, bird, fish, rodents, cats, dogs, various pet supplies, and the check out lines. Toward the back of the store, however, were several long hallways with signs advertising different species of hybrids. Heero realized that the back of store probably separated the different species just like the front did. As soon as the two of them walked through the door, a man with slicked back, black hair and the store uniform on approached them with a bright smile.

"Mr. Barton!" he exclaimed, addressing Trowa, "It's so nice to see you again! I trust that Quatre is fine?"

"Yes, Quatre is wonderful. I'm teaching him how to cook currently and he's picking it up very quickly," Trowa told the man. "I'm glad to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help you?" the man, his name tag said Damon, asked.

"Actually, my friend here is interested in getting a pet," Trowa said, jerking his thumb at Heero.

Damon turned his entire attention to Heero. The tall man struck Heero as the type of person that took his job very, very seriously. He was probably employee of the month or something like that.

"Do you have any preferences?" Damon asked.

Heero shook his head.

"I'm not even sure if I want an animal or a hybrid. I just want a companion, something that's easy to take care of. Maybe a bird or a rodent," he explained.

"He likes cats," Trowa interrupted smugly, "I want to look at the hybrids first, before he chickens out."

Heero glared at him. He wasn't going to chicken out. Truthfully, he was excited about the thought of getting a cat hybrid, but he didn't want to seem too eager and he wanted to make sure that he had options if he didn't find one that he liked or would like him back. He hadn't wanted to discuss it with Trowa, but while he was on a budget, he could be flexible. His parents had left him everything, their old house, all the money in their bank accounts, and a sizeable amount from their life insurance. The remainder of his education was paid off, his house was paid for, for at least five more years, and with the money left over, he could afford groceries and other necessities for quite some time, long enough that he wasn't pressed to find a job right after he graduated. The money wasn't infinite, so he did have to be careful, but he wasn't really worried about the price of a pet. It mattered what kind it was and how badly he wanted it. Damon beamed at him with such a bright expression that Heero wondered what he or Trowa had said to make him so excited.

"Very well," the man said happily, leading them to a door marked 'felines', "We'll look at the cat hybrids first. Most of our felines are of the domestic quality: Siamese, short hairs, Persians, we even have some Savannahs, but those are very expensive. Also, most of our animals are fresh, though we do have a few that have had previous owners."

They walked through the door and into a very long hallway, filled with doors with various names and markings on them.

"I never understood that," Trowa mused, "Why are hybrids so badly affected by losing their masters? I heard that over ninety percent of hybrids die once they are abandoned."

"That's cruel," Heero said in shock, "I had no idea it was that bad. What is the benefit in that? Don't hybrids that are abandoned, but survive, also become dysfunctional?"

Damon nodded.

"It's unfortunate, especially for those of us that work in pet retail. As you say, only ten percent of abandoned hybrids survive the shock and depression and most of those have to be put down anyway because they become so aggressive, especially the dogs. It's an unfortunate part of a hybrid's biological make up, one that many activist groups are trying to find a way to destroy," he told them as they walked.

"Why would anyone do that?" Trowa asked, "It's painful to think of anything happening to me. All I can think of is what will happen to Quatre. I don't like being responsible for his pain."

"It's much like the Pharaohs who buried their pets and slaves with them when they died," Damon said, "When hybrids were additionally created, they were bred much like dogs were, for temperament and their physical appearance. That's why most of hybrids are so attractive looking. Hybrids were created to be loyal, to be completely dependent on their masters to cause a deep bond, far beyond a normal animal. There are many people who feel that hybrids should all be put down to spare them the pain of separation, though I fail to see how killing the creatures is any better than making them slaves."

"That's horrible," Heero muttered, "I don't want a slave, no one should."

"It's actually very interesting," Damon said, "That obedience and emotional dependency is a gene trait. It was made that way so that every hybrid would be born that way and they wouldn't have to be individually conditioned. The gene is actually recessive, but because hybrids only breed with each other, every hybrid is born with that gene."

"So, if a hybrid mated with a human, the child _wouldn't _have the obedience gene?" Trowa asked with interest, "That's incredible."

"What is even more interesting is that the animal features are dominant, so the child has a great likeliness to not be completely human. With so many people falling in love with their hybrids, there is a great chance that there will be a generation of hybrids without that bothersome trait. There are many biologists who are calling this generation the new step in human evolution," Damon said.

"I don't understand any of that," Heero said in confusion.

"Look," Trowa tried to explain to his friend, "Every child gets one gene from their mother and one gene from their father, that's just simple genetics. If a child gets one recessive gene and one dominant gene, the dominant gene basically cancels out the recessive, so the child will have the dominant trait. If a human has the dominant non-obedient trait and hybrids only have the recessive, the child will only receive one recessive and one dominant, making the child non-obedient."

"Ok, fine, that makes sense," Heero said, "But is it really that common… people having sex with their hybrids?"

He didn't know why, but the thought of having sex with one of the creatures made his insides squirm. He knew that they were half human, but they were still part animal, too.

"Hybrids and humans share a deep bond. While hybrids have animal characteristics, mentally, they are far closer to humans. If a human were to have sex with an animal, we would consider it perverse because animals don't look at sex in the way we do. Hybrids, however, understand that sex is pleasurable and that it should be done with someone that they love. Also, another point of interest is that hybrids share our sexuality. They can be gay, straight, and even adhere to human fetishes. Having sex with a hybrid is as natural as having sex with each other. So, a new generation of hybrids is very possible, but before that new generation occurs, all we can really do is try to find homes for these creatures and hope that a tragedy doesn't happen to their owners," Damon said sadly.

Trowa suddenly realized that they had been walking for several minutes and had passed up several doors.

"We're pretty far down," he noted, "Just where are we going?"

"There is a very special feline that I want you to meet," Damon confessed, "It's become standard procedure to arrange a meeting between anyone looking for a cat hybrid and this male."

"What is so special about him?" Trowa asked suspiciously, not wanting his best friend to be scammed, "We can't afford an exotic pet. And why is it standard procedure?"

Damon sighed morosely.

"The species of this particular cat is very, very rare. There are only about fifty of his kind in the world and he is the only of his kind that this store has ever had. They are beautiful creatures, but hard to sell because they are so rare and hard to take care of. Although they are hardy and strong, they don't breed well and are very exotic. It is unlikely that you will leave here with him, but I still would like you to meet him, even if you can't afford him," he told them.

"Why is it so unlikely?" Heero asked, already very interested in the cat, though it seemed like all the things Damon was saying made the cat a terrible pet for him, he did want something easy to take care of after all, "Is he really that expensive?"

"The price isn't the issue," the black haired man said, "This cat's species are very intelligent, even by the standards of hybrids. They can also be very vicious and have a habit of becoming feral when they aren't taken care of properly. These cats become extremely attached to their owners, too. The reason why they are so hard to find homes for is because they can't be chosen."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Heero asked, bewildered by the strange statement.

"This cat's species can't be chosen by a master. _They_ choose whoever they want to be their masters. If they are placed with someone they haven't chosen… it can be messy," Damon muttered.

"How messy?" Trowa asked.

"As I said, these cats are very intelligent, and very emotional. When they pick their owners, they see it as a partnership, something that is mutual and almost spiritual. When a master is forced upon them, for these cats, it is more like rape and they react to their master violently. In these cases, it is very common for them to… well… eat their owners," the employee said hesitantly.

"They eat them?" Trowa asked, startled, "They will actually eat human flesh?"

"Not naturally," Damon tried to explain, "They don't make a habit of eating people. We've only seen them do it when they feel that they must protect themselves or their true masters. They see masters that have been forced on them as intruders into their domain, enemies and threats to their livelihood. They simply see it as self defense. These cats mate for life and they see their masters as their life partners. That's why it has been so hard to place this particular cat. He's very picky, even though he's a kitten according to his species."

"How long do they live?" Heero asked, not disturbed by the thought of a hybrid eating someone.

He thought he would be pretty pissed if someone forced him into a life partnership and he didn't even like them. "Their average life span is 150 years," Damon said, "Though in the wild, it's only about eighty. This cat is only 27. He's sexually mature and knows how to hunt like an adult cat would, but still has several kitten mannerisms. We've had him look at over a hundred people who have wanted to buy him, but he's only picked one person. Unfortunately, it didn't work out with that master and he came back to us."

Something inside of Heero froze. The cat had had another owner? And he was still alive? He felt a great deal of sympathy for the hybrid that he hadn't met yet and wondered at the kind of strength of spirit the feline had.

"What happened to them?" he asked softly.

"I'm sorry," Damon apologized, "I can't legally tell you what happened. All I can say is that the cat wasn't abused by his master and they did share a deep connection. When he came back here, the cat was very despondent and hostile towards everyone. He's bitten several employees and hasn't shown any interest in the people we've had meet him. However, he does seem to want another master. He becomes excited when we tell him we have a meeting, but once he rejects them, he becomes very depressed. When he first came back, he wouldn't eat or drink anything. He just stayed curled up in one corner and would snarl at anyone who approached him. He is a very sad case, but he's gotten better with time."

"He must be so lonely," Heero murmured, feeling a deep pain in his heart, "He loved his master a lot and now he doesn't have anyone. He keeps searching, but he still remembers his master and no one can quite match up in his eyes."

Damon stared at the young man, shocked by his words. Then, he nodded, almost as though he was approving of him.

"Yes. As I said, he and his owner were very attached and he suffered with the loss. He will probably reject you like all the others, but we hope that one day, we might get lucky," he said.

"Wait a minute," Trowa interrupted, "You said that the cat is hostile and that he's bitten people. What if he attacks Heero?"

"That's unlikely," Damon assured him, "This cat has never killed anyone and though he is very aggressive and feral from his ordeal with his past master, we have never seen the need to muzzle him. The only time he's attacked anyone was when we've tried to collar him."

"How do you expect to sell him if he's feral and won't even let you put a collar on him?" Trowa exclaimed. "In his defense," Damon said shortly, "He has only attacked strangers. I believe that he assumed they were trying to strangle him."

"I want to meet him," Heero argued to Trowa, "I don't care if he's dangerous. I mean, he probably won't chose me, right? And this is going to be my only chance to see… whatever he is."

"We're here," Damon announced.

They had reached the end of the very long hallway and were standing in front of the last door. The door read 'Duo'. Heero felt his heart beat faster.

"What's 'Duo'?" Trowa asked.

"It's his name," Damon answered, "The Native Americans used to tell stories about these cats. They gave them a dual nature, part trickster, part wise guide. Considering this cat's personality, we thought that it was apt."

The black haired man opened the door. The first thing that struck Heero, besides the fact that it felt like he was about to explode from excitement, was how dark the room was. Light spilled into it and gave him the impression of a very large space, he could even see a bed with a lot of downy blankets, and there was some low candlelight, but that was all he could see.

"Is he nocturnal?" he asked.

Damon shook his head.

"No. Like their animal counterparts, his kind are opportunistic hunters, but mostly stalk during the day time. Duo is a very nervous cat. He especially doesn't like men that are bigger than him," he eyed Heero's height, another strike against the blue eyed man being Duo's master, "In fact, such man scare him. The darkness makes him feel safe. Duo, we have someone for you to meet, why don't you come out?"

Heero's back straightened, brimming with curiosity. He very badly wanted to make a good impression. Through the shadows, he was finally able to see something. Cat hybrids had eyes that refracted light so well, they seemed to glow in the dark. Most cats' eyes glowed red or green in the dark, but what he saw in the shadows was silvery white, like looking at two, small moons. Heero stepped in the room very slowly and cautiously, more out of fear of scaring the young cat than the fear of getting mauled. As Damon opened the door wider, more light spilled into the room. From behind him, he heard Trowa gasp. He would have to, had he been able to breathe. Damon had been right, this hybrid was special.

Most cat hybrids came from domestic breeds; Abyssinians, Siamese, Maine Coons… but there was a specialty market for wild cats, too. Heero had only seen a hand full of them, two cheetahs, a tiger, and a leopard. Wild cat types were rare because they were strong, very intelligent, required a great deal of care, wide space, and food. Cheetahs were the most popular because they were small, beautiful, and very social, like the animals were, but they were used to hot climate and they caught colds and pneumonia easily.

He remembered the tiger he had seen once. Tall, muscular, and reeking of raw power, it's stripes and intense green eyes had been hypnotizing to him. This cat caught his attention in the same way, but for different reasons. Like Damon had said, the cat was young, looking like a human teenager. His ears, like all cats, were triangular and perched on top of his head, perked up to catch any kind of sound, larger than a panther or cheetah's. His hair was long and silken, light brown, brilliant red, and shining gold all together in a lovely braid.

His face was cute with a tiny nose that had an adorable little black spot on it and extraordinary eyes. Like all cats, his pupils were slit, but the rest of his eyes were a brilliant violet, flecked with gold. Just looking at them, Heero felt that he could fall into them, just at the color alone. The most amazing thing, though, was that this cat had spots.

In his lifetime, he had seen several hybrids, mostly cats and dogs. They had all had various kinds of fur, those that had come from colder climates had it all over their bodies, those from South America or Africa had a mix of fur and skin, but it was all a solid color. For example, Trowa's rabbit, coming from Arabia, had very light, thin, golden fur mixed with equally pale skin, all the same color.

The only exception he had seen was a Bengal that had had brown stripes on her skin. It had looked so beautiful and he had wanted to touch them, just to see if the stripes were real. This cat's spots, however, were much more beautiful.

Duo was much smaller than the tiger, and even the cheetahs he had seen. He was wearing a form fitting, sleeveless shirt, so it was easy to see the patterns of thick, dark circles and stripes on his skin. What Heero could see of the cat's chest was pale, almost white in color, and devoid of spots, but with a few black stripes stretching over his thin form. The rest of him, however, was a reddish brown, like his hair, and covered by the gorgeous black spots. Heero realized that the cat was covered in fur, but the fur seemed to blend perfectly with the skin, thick, but laying flat and neat. His triangular ears had black, defined, pointed tips of tufted, black fur, but Heero could tell that they were the same chestnut color.

Duo wore an elegant garment that kind of looked like a loin cloth tied around his waist, the cloth falling between his legs. His legs were long and strong, his inner thighs that white color, mostly devoid of the stripes and spots on his legs. His hands looked like a cross between paws and hands, the nails black and deadly sharp, his fingers thick and paw-like, but also looked as flexible and jointed as normal fingers.

Heero swallowed roughly when he saw those claws. They looked like they could rip through bone. This cat might be a pet, but he was also a predator. Duo's feet were just like his hands, they were paws instead of actual feet, but flexible, with claws that were even bigger than the ones on his hands, but his paw-like feet, as big as they were, looked like they gave him an incredible balance and power. The cat moved like he was a ghost, graceful and liquidly. As he got closer, Heero got a look at his tail. It was hard to see, partially because of the dark and partially because of how short it was. At first Heero thought that someone had cut it in half, used to felines having long, thin tails. This cat's tail couldn't be longer than his rear and probably didn't fall to his upper thighs. It was a thick stub, the tip black and the length of it striped, almost like a tiger's, but the stripes were thicker, like bands that went all the way around the tail, but he could see that the entire underside of the tale was white. Instead of it looking weird, the short tail on the equally short cat looked unique and rather cute.

Duo approached them warily, as though he were waiting for them to move. His eyes were piercing and Heero though he could see the intelligence in them. He was incredible.

"A bobcat…" Trowa breathed in shock, "He's a bobcat hybrid."

"Yes," Damon said, "As I said, his kind are very rare."

"Rare?" Trowa scoffed, "I didn't even know there were such things as bobcat hybrids!" "He's beautiful," Heero murmured, entranced by the cat's spotted skin and fur.

"Beautiful and deadly," Trowa reminded him, not letting the cat's small size distract him from those deadly claws, "Heero, we should leave. If he attacks you-,"

"He won't," Heero insisted.

"Even if he picks you, and he won't," Trowa argued, "You said you wanted a no-hassle pet. Well, this cat is a hassle. Just look at him! Even if he's native to this country, he's a lot more exotic than most felines and he deserves to be with someone who can take care of him!"

'I could,' Heero thought stubbornly, all his fear and anxieties about taking care of a hybrid leaving him, 'I could take care of him.'

He suddenly realized that he wanted him. He wanted Duo. It was irresponsible and he knew that Trowa was right. Duo wasn't just high maintenance, he was nervous and had had a bad experience, so he couldn't say that he would be a good match for him, but looking into those eyes that looked so sad, but so smart, he wanted to take care of the bobcat.

"What should I do?" he asked Damon.

"Just let him smell you," Damon told him, "Don't touch him or make any move towards him. This is his choice, not yours, so you must show that you respect that. Too many people come in here and treat him like a treasure. He's a hybrid, not an animal, and definitely not a trophy. If you think he is, he will know it instinctively and will reject you outright."

"Not a problem," Heero said softly.

He definitely didn't think that this incredible hybrid was nothing more than a pretty face. When the cat looked at him, he felt like they were really seeing each other, into their souls. He tried hard to remember that everything Damon had told him about the cat. He was in charge here, not Heero, he was sad and lonely, and he was scared of people who were taller than him, which Heero was… Taking a deep breath, he took a slow step forward and then promptly sat on the floor.

"Heero, what are you doing?" Trowa demanded in a harsh whisper, freezing when Duo's ears turned in his direction and the cat gave him a harsh glare.

For a moment, Trowa was sure that the jaguar was going to make a go for him, staring him down. Then, Duo yawned widely, displaying an impressive set of teeth. Unlike a tiger or lion's, Duo's teeth weren't overly large or thick, but they were bigger than a domestic breed's and, more importantly, they looked sharper than a bigger cat's, like little razor blades or deadly needles. Trowa stared at the vicious looking teeth and realized that Duo hadn't really yawned. It was more like the cat was displaying his teeth as a threat. The bobcat didn't look aggressive as he stared Trowa down, more like he was frightened. He realized that the harshness of his tone had scared the cat and wondered if he should apologize.

Duo's violet-gold eyes fell on Heero again and his head cocked to the side, regarding the human in his midst, and he made a soft murr sound in curiosity.

"Impressive," Damon noted, not at all fazed or worried about Duo's aggressive display of his teeth.

"What, the size of his teeth?" Trowa asked nervously.

"No, your friend. By sitting on the floor, he's acknowledging Duo's fear of his height and is putting them on more equal ground. In doing so, he's showing compassion and respect. Very few have been smart enough to try such a gesture," Damon told him.

To their amazement, Duo copied Heero's move and sat on the floor, his large paws curled behind him, still studying the human with haunting violet eyes. As he sat, his short tail curled around the right side of his rear, the black tip just barely managing to rest on the top of his leg. Heero was momentarily fascinated by the spots on the bobcat's cheeks and the stripes going down his forehead to just above the bridge of his nose in a wavy, beautiful downwards pattern, almost like a v, reminding Heero of a tiger or Maine coon.

"Good, very good," Damon said, "Bobcat hybrids are like wolves. They have a hierarchy and will not form a bond with a master that they view as on a lower level from themselves. Duo is submitting to Heero, he sees him as the dominant male in the room. That's a very good sign. I've only seen him do that a handful of times."

"You mean that Heero actually has a chance?" Trowa questioned in surprise.

"It's too soon to say that," Damon remarked.

"Duo, is that your name?" Heero asked the cat.

Duo gave a small nod, his gaze softer as he regarded Heero less like a predator would an enemy or prey and more like a kitten would a bright new toy he had suddenly found in his territory, not quite sure if it was safe, but interested.

"Can you speak English?" Heero asked, his hopes falling as Duo shook his head, his long hair sliding over his pale, thin shoulder.

For a moment, Heero was completely entranced by the sight of that hair, the light bringing out the gold in it.

"His owner lived a few miles from here," Damon told Heero, though Heero kept his back to him, giving Duo his entire attention out of respect, "I didn't know him very well, or if he had taught Duo any language, but he hasn't spoken a word since he returned here. We make a habit out of not teaching our hybrids language since most masters want to do it themselves. Duo is very smart, though, so if you want to teach him English, he should be able to learn very quickly."

Duo looked away from Heero for a brief moment and his expression was so devastatingly sad that Heero almost hugged him, but remembered to keep his space. That expression, so lonely and frustrated, so full of regret and sadness, made Heero wonder about Duo's previous owner, if he had neglected the hybrid and had refused to teach him even basic language skills. It seemed so cruel, to deny the cat even a voice, to assert that kind of harsh domination over him.

"If you want me to, I can teach you," he told the bobcat kindly, "But we're understanding each other well enough without it, aren't we?"

Duo nodded enthusiastically at him, smiling cutely.

"Your name is really beautiful," Heero said with a soft smile, "My name's Heero and I guess that's kind of plain. I've never had a hybrid before, but it would be nice to have someone to talk to, don't you think? Even if you can't speak back, I'd like to talk to you."

Duo cocked his head to the side again as though he were surprised by Heero's words. Heero reached his hand out to him, feeling a bit bolder since the cat had yet to hiss at him or try to bite him. Duo stared at it for a moment, then back up at Heero, as though he thought it was a trick. Heero wondered if Duo really was as aggressive as Damon had said, or if the other people who had tried to buy him were just morons, then the cat made that adorable little murr sound again and Heero had to struggle not to chuckle.

"You can smell it if you want," Heero said gently, "I just cleaned my kitchen, though, so the most interesting thing is the lemon spray. I don't know if you'll like that or not."

Duo continued to stare up at Heero for a moment, then put a hand on his leg, leaned forward, sniffed at his palm. The cat paused, analyzing the strange smells, but seemed to enjoy the scent of the cleaning products, or at least the lemon one, and gave it another sniff. Heero felt amazed by the whole process. Humans were so easy to please and talk to, but this cat was studying him, judging him, and so far, he had found him worthy. That meant a lot to him.

"Would you like to come home with me?" he asked cautiously.

He knew that it was bold to say so, but Damon was right, it was Duo's choice and not his. Duo's eyes widened, making the black fur that framed those eyes and trailed down each side of his nose make the violet look intense. Heero wondered if anyone had actually bothered to ask that. Suddenly, the cat moved forward until his lips were very close to Heero's neck.

"Oh my God," Damon gasped out.

Trowa looked at him in fear.

"What is he doing?" he demanded.

He had this sudden, horrible image of the cat biting his friend and ripping his throat out. If those long canines sunk into Heero's neck, he was dead. No second chances with that cat. He watched in shock as Duo's slim, pink tongue darted out and licked Heero's cheek, then moved back and looked up at Heero in adoration, his stubby tail flicking around, almost like a dog wagging his tail.

"I can't believe this," Damon muttered, "He accepted him…"

"What?" Trowa yelled, making Duo hiss at him, the black and white framed lips pulling back to reveal his teeth again, "What do you mean he accepted him?"

"He chose him," Damon repeated, "He made an affectionate gesture towards him, that means he sees Heero as his master."

Heero stared at the cat in amazement.

"You choose me?" he nearly gasped out.

Duo nodded happily and Heero felt his insides practically explode at the slight gesture. His mind was filled with memories of how Duo's little, wet tongue had felt on his skin.

"I-I'm honored," he stammered.

And he was. This cat, who was so picky and hurt, had chosen _him_ out of hundreds of people.

"I can't believe it," Damon continued, shaking his head.

"Can I touch you?" Heero asked the cat, ignoring Damon.

Duo nodded and Damon chuckled.

"He chose you, and when he did that, he gave you authority over his welfare, including your right to touch him," the pet store employee explained.

With a shaky hand, Heero reached out and touched one of Duo's furry, black tipped ears, petting it lightly. His heart felt warm as Duo's eyes slid shut and he started to purr.

"He can purr?" Trowa asked.

"Yes. Like real bobcats, the hybrids can purr and are actually quite vocal," Damon said.

Trowa wanted very much to tell Heero to forget about the cat, he was too dangerous and Heero didn't know how to take care of an exotic pet, but as Heero stroked the bobcat's ear, he wore a blissful, loving smile, the kind of smile that Trowa wore every time he saw Quatre. How could he deny his friend that? Besides, he was sure that Heero wouldn't listen to him. He shouldn't listen to him. If Heero had found something to make him smile like that, he should keep it.

"How much is he?" Trowa asked with a sigh, surrendering to the situation.

At least Heero's new pet would be able to defend himself, if needed.

"Bobcats are almost impossible to come across," Damon told him, "They are notoriously expensive. Duo is very young, healthy, and beautiful. His first owner spent 5 million dollars on him."

Trowa whistled, impressed. Duo's owner had either been stupid in love with the cat or filthy rich. There was no way in hell that Heero could pay that.

"However, bobcats are also almost impossible to place with a master. This one has been here for so long, I thought we would never find someone for him, so we can be very flexible. The lowest I can go, though, is five thousand," Damon said.

"That's still kind of high," Trowa protested.

Quatre had only cost him eight hundred dollars and that had still been pretty expensive.

"I'll pay it," Heero interrupted.

Five thousand dollars was a lot more than he had wanted to spend, but he could afford it, barely. But more than just he could afford it, he didn't want to leave Duo here in this dark room, in the back of a pet store. All alone, wondering if he could ever go home with someone… he just couldn't do that. In a way, he was in the same situation as the bobcat, all alone, without a family and wondering if things would get any better.

"I'll get the paper work," Damon said with a brilliant smile, leading them out.

Heero and Duo stood up and Duo grabbed his arm, smiling up at him, brimming with happiness. Heero smiled back, his heart racing. Duo's slim body felt warm as he pushed up against him and for some reason, it made his heart throb. He could feel his fur against his skin, like the downy plush of a stuffed animal, silky and warm. Was this really the same cat that had eyed him like he was an enemy only minutes before? His smile looked so playful, so happy and Heero felt excited about the fact that he would soon be taking the cat home with him. It felt wrong and right at the same time. Duo needed a home and Heero needed a companion, but now that the jaguar wasn't so scared of him, he seemed so human that it felt wrong to call him his pet.

As interested as he had always been at the thought of owning a hybrid, there was something about the process that had always made him sick to his stomach. All hybrids were half human. They looked like people, talked like people, even fell in love like people did, and yet they were given 'masters', people who had complete control over them. Legally, hybrids had very little rights. A hybrid without a master was treated like an animal, put in some dark room until another master could be found. Couldn't you call that slavery? They weren't animals, not really, but they put collars on them and taught them tricks. They kept them fed, but under the law, they weren't even considered human.

It seemed wrong, considering all that, to say that he owned a creature that was so very human, but even if he did own Duo, he would never treat him as a slave. They would be equals, Heero felt that he couldn't possibly treat the cat in any other way. Duo looked around the pet store with excitement as they left the long hallway and Heero realized that he probably hadn't seen this part of the store since his last master had left him here. They followed Damon to a computer where he handed Heero a thick packet of paper and printed out forms for him to sign.

"That packet will tell you anything you need to know about bobcat hybrids," Damon told Heero, "But here are some basics. Like their wild counterparts, bobcats are meat eaters. They can eat vegetables and sweets, but they must have at least five to six pounds of meat today. They can eat human food without much problem, though they seem to hate lettuce and other leafy vegetables. You can give him vegetables like carrots and cucumbers. They also love fresh fruit. They can eat any kind of meat, but they seem to like red meat and fish the best. It is important that you let him play outside every day. Bobcats don't like to be enclosed and can become depressed if they're inside all the time. They groom themselves well enough. Like wild bobcats, they can swim and will take baths without the fuss that a cheetah or lion would. They like it when their masters comb their hair and fur. They have some feral instincts, so I suggest you don't let him near any small animals, especially if your neighbors have little dogs and birds. They don't hunt children or cats, though. They are very affectionate and require their master's attention frequently. They are intelligent and quick learners. I suggest that you buy him plenty of books and movies. They tend to get bored easily, but they will learn just about anything if you read to them. Don't treat them like children or animals. They also require your respect. If you remember that, he will be a loyal companion and probably won't be aggressive towards anyone."

"I understand," Heero said, already flipping through the packet, Duo peering over his arm as though he was reading along with his master.

The little monster was cute, even Trowa had to admit that. If only he get that picture of the cat's teeth out of his head… It was actually kind of funny. Heero had insisted that he didn't want a hybrid, that he just wanted something simple that wouldn't require much care and was leaving with the most high maintenance pet in the entire store. But at least he was happy, for the first time in a month. Heero seemed enraptured with the feline, the feeling of being a new pet owner completely controlling him. Not that that was a bad thing. Already Duo had gotten Heero out of his shell. Damon waved a girl wearing the store uniform over.

"Before you check Duo out of here, you're going to need some supplies. Kelly can help you out with that," Damon told the dark brown haired man.

"Thank you so much for your help," Heero said, shaking Damon's hand.

"You're very welcome. And I hope," the black haired man said to Duo, patting the top of his head, between his pointed ears, "that I never see you again."

Duo mewed at him. Kelly smiled at them and led them to the part of the store that held toys, beds, and other accessories. He didn't have to buy Duo a bed, thankfully. He had a guest room, the bed just wasn't made up. However, he was going to end up spending a small fortune on other things. Duo needed a collar, tags, two separate brushes for his hair and fur, toys, books that would help teach him simple tasks and language, and lots of treats. Kelly explained that bobcats were very sensory, they needed to have scratching posts to help keep their claws clean and sharp, not to mention that it felt good for their sensitive claws.

Their teeth were also sensitive and when they became dull, that was usually a sign of rot or other mouth diseases, so they needed things to chew on. Bobcats also liked to cuddle and play, like most cats, so it was preferable to have very soft blankets for Duo to build a 'nest' and stuffed animals. Duo seemed to be especially interested in anything that had a bell on it and the various different beef jerky the store sold, sniffing at each packet. As Heero watched Duo go from thing to thing, sniffing and poking at it like a little kid, though never straying very far, he realized that Duo's clothing, though sensual and probably comfortable with those big paws and tail, would not be appropriate for day to day. He would have to buy the cat clothes, too, ones that would accommodate for his feline features. The clothes here were really too expensive. He could get some baggy pants at a regular clothing store and just cut out holes for his tail and save some money.

"You don't have to get all of this, you know," Trowa teased him, looking at the cart that was now almost full of cat stuff, "all you really need is the collar and the food. I'm sure there's plenty of stuff around your place for him to snuggle and rip."

"I want to do this right," Heero urged, "He isn't so much a pet as a kid I'm adopting. He's completely my responsibility and I want him to be comfortable. Cats don't like new things, right? He's probably going to be nervous at my house for awhile. I just… I want him to be happy. I want him to forget about his previous owner and just enjoy himself."

"Only serious hybrid owners say stuff like that," Trowa chuckled.

"Well, I guess that's what I am, then. There's nothing wrong with making him feel at home," Heero insisted.

Duo, who had been poking around the wide selection of pillows, ran up to Heero, his arms wrapped tightly around a very big, very plush looking pillow. It was the size of Duo's waist to his neck, a baby blue color, and shaped like a star. Duo looked up at his master with large, pleading eyes, his striped and spotted tail waving behind him eagerly.

"You like that?" Heero asked.

The cat nodded his head energetically, clenching the pillow tighter. Heero could tell that it was very soft as the cat was nearly burying his head into it happily. He smiled at him.

"Alright, let's get it then," he said, gently taking the pillow from the hybrid and putting it in the cart.

It barely fit. Duo looked like the human had just bought him the moon and the stars, licking Heero's cheek. Heero blushed, not sure of what kind of greeting licking was to cats, but it seemed very intimate to him.

"That pillow is thirty dollars," Trowa warned him, but his best friend sounded more amused than anything else.

Heero just shrugged. They moved on to the leashes and collars. There were a few choke chains, which made Heero blanch. He hoped that people only used them on big dogs, but knew that some like to use them on their hybrids. The thought of those chains around Duo's slender neck made him feel nauseous. So did the leashes. People liked to use them on hybrids because they thought it was cute or sexy, but Duo wasn't a cat, he just looked like one, and he was perfectly capable of walking next to him without a leash. He understood that collars were to identify hybrids that were lost, but why couldn't the hybrid just tell people where they lived? It just seemed so demeaning…

"All you need now is a collar," Kelly said with a bright smile, holding up a violet collar with soft fur on the inside, "This one would look beautiful with his eyes."

Duo saw her holding the collar and darted behind Heero. His ears lay flat against his head, his tail slipping between his legs in fear and he grabbed at his owner's shirt. Heero wasn't an idiot. He remembered what Damon had said about Duo attacking anyone who tried to put a collar on him, but the cat just looked terrified by the thing, not pissed. He didn't know why the bobcat didn't like collars, but he obviously didn't one around his neck. Heero waved a dismissive hand at the girl.

"I'll wait on buying one," he said.

"Heero, he can't go outside by himself without one," Trowa pointed out, "If he's caught without a tag or an owner, he'll be locked up. This city has a no stray policy."

"Then I'll just have to go out with him," Heero said stubbornly, "I won't get a collar for him until he trusts me more and feels comfortable with it."

Duo stared up at him in shock, melting into Heero's touch when the human stroked his cheek, marveling at how the spotted fur looked when his fingers moved across it.

"I won't force you to do something that scares you so much," the blue eyed man soothed, "If there's something that makes you uncomfortable, just tug on my arm or meow or something and I'll fix it."

Duo wrapped his arms around Heero and hugged him tightly, burying his face into his shirt and rubbing against him. Heero hugged him back with a soft smile.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired," he said, "Let's go home, ok?"

Duo nodded and took his hand, letting his owner lead him to the cash registers as Trowa steered the cart. Heero couldn't help but smile like a dumb kid as he wrapped his hand around Duo's smaller, furry hand.

A month ago, Heero had been in a car accident. Another car had hit there's and their car had flipped over. His father, who hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, had been thrown from the car and had died instantly. Both Heero and his mother had been wearing seatbelts, but shortly after the impact, Heero's had snapped, making him fall and hit his head. As they had lied there, upside down in the middle of the highway, their car had been hit a second time by a car that had been speeding down their side of the highway. Before it had hit, EMTs had managed to get Heero out before the second impact, because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. His mother's belt had been jammed. She hadn't survived the second crash.

Heero could barely look at cars anymore. Going to class, just trying to live his life seemed so impossible and pointless. Life seemed so fleeting and random to him now and he didn't know what he should do, if he should keep going to college, give up on everything, or live his life like those people who took risks just to live a full life. He didn't love his girlfriend anymore. And now… now he had a cat that was terrified of collars, was more depressed and lonely than he was, and couldn't speak a word. He didn't know which one of them was more messed up. But that was ok, wasn't it? Because… if he just took one day at a time and loved this cat, showed him affection in return for a kind ear, it would be alright… wouldn't it?

End Prologue

Now, before anyone bitches at me: YES, I am working on The Road to Kindness. This revision of DD was already mostly written, so I just went with it. I'm diligently working on the next part of TRTK and I hope to update soon.

Also, bobcats are adorable. Here is a pic of a bobcat that has Duo's similar markings and fur color: 

Now, I'm off to work on TRTK some more.


End file.
